The First PMC meetingThe first meeting of the Project Management Committee (PMC) was held at of PERSGA Headquarters in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 21st and 22nd March 2009. This meeting marked the first step in the framework of the implementation of the Medium Size Project (MSP). It included signing of an agreement between PERSGA and UNIDO for implementation of the MSP on enforcing strategies for reduction of UP-POPs in the region. The meeting was attended by representatives of the four partner countries and Saudi Arabia, Representatives of UNIDO and representatives of PERSGA. It witnessed constructive discussions of the project document, reviewing the project concept, objectives, components and management structure, in addition to the regional strategy and the site specific action plans. The workplan of 2009 has been approved by the PMC, and a tentative work plan of 2010 has been identified.Minutes of the 1st PMC Meeting

The Second PMC meeting The Second Regional Meeting of the Management Committee for the Persistent Organic Pollutants Project was held in Aqaba - Jordan during 1-2 November 2009. The meeting was attended by representatives of five countries in the region (Jordan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Yemen) in addition to the PERSGA Secretary General, UNIDO consultant, and the President of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) as well as many of the participants who attended the opening session.Several issues were discussed including the communication process between PERSGA and the focal points in countries of the region, the amendment of certain terms in the project document. Bids received from laboratories were evaluated by the Committee where the German laboratory was selected to analyze samples based on the appropriateness of price analysis of the sample, compared with the prices of other laboratories. The Committee decided to provide the national laboratories in Egypt and Jordan with 30 samples for each laboratory for analysis so as to ensure the quality of analysis and raise the capabilities of laboratories within the region.During the meeting the project consultant reviewed the project work plan from November 2009 to March 2010 for the next six months where targets and the implementation process had been identifying.Minutes of the 2nd PMC Meeting

The Third PMC meeting The Third Regional Meeting of the Management Committee for the Persistent Organic Pollutants Project was held in Cairo in the Arab Republic of Egypt during 30 – 31 / 3 / 2010 The meeting was inaugurated by Her Excellency the Executive Director of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency “EEAA”. Then the Project’s Coordinator addressed the meeting on behalf of His Excellency PERSGA Secretary General. He thanked the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency for hosting the meeting. He also thanked UNIDO and GEF for supporting the project and welcomed the PMC members in Cairo. He highlighted that concurrently with the meeting country nominees were being trained on collecting and processing samples for PCDD/Fs analysis at the QCAP Laboratory in Cairo, emphasizing the importance of sharing experience and benefiting from available expertise in the region.The meeting also included presentations from members of the Committee on the progress of the project in the Project Management Unit in the Organization's headquarters in the States. Followed by constructive discussions and attended b ya group of experts interested in POPs.The members of the Management Committee agreed to choose two activities in each of the States applied for BAT/BEP promotion; one common and one country specific sector. They also agreed that the common sector for BAT/BEP promotion will be the open burning of waste specifically at landfills and dump sites, and selected the country specific sector for BAT/BEP implementation.In the second day, the Committee members participated in a field visit to a cement factory in the city of Suez and followed the training on collecting stack emission samples, they also participated in the closing session of the training.Minutes of the 3rd PMC Meeting

The Fourth PMC meeting The fourth Regional Meeting of the Management Committee for the Persistent Organic Pollutants Project was held in PERSGA headquarter in Jeddah on Tuesday 6 / 7 / 2010, attended by the national coordinators from the participating countries.The meeting was addressed by the regional coordinator of the project, welcoming the PMC members in Jeddah. He briefly reviewed the progress of the project and the workflow, then the PMC members reviewed the progress and the achievements of the previous phase of the project.Several issues were discussed in the meeting, including the formation of national strategy teams and the partnership with the private sector and industry.The Committee also studied the technical bids of providing sampling instruments, and after reviewing the papers and documents of the tendering companies, they agreed on the wining tenders.Minutes of the 4th PMC Meeting

The Fifth PMC meeting Four PERSGA countries (Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Yemen) Parties to the Stockholm Convention have agreed that close cooperation is needed to collectively implement the Stockholm Convention’s measures concerning introduction of best available techniques (BAT) and best environmental practices (BEP) for cutting unintentionally produced persistent organic pollutants UP POPs in the coastal zone industries. Consequently, PERSGA has approached UNIDO for assistance through developing and implementing a Medium-Sized GEF Project (MSP) to enable the introduction of BAT and BEP to the industrial sector of the coastal zone. It is important to note that Saudi Arabia is a self financed country, Somalia was not included due to Project’s safeguarding considerations and Djibouti has expressed concerns of language (English and Arabic) and preferred not to join the four countries. The project has been approved and commenced in March 2009. It will continue till December 2011. Four project management committee PMC meetings have been conducted and national inventories of POPs sources have been prepared. Also a regional inventory has been prepared and sight specific assessments in Jordan, Sudan and Egypt have been completed.

The fifth PMC meeting of the UP POPs project comes to: (i) introduce the project to the public and decision makers (ii) discuss progress made in the project, particularly after the last PMC meeting (iii) discuss the site specific assessment reports and (iv) plan for the remaining period of the project. All national coordinators in addition to national consultants participated in the meeting that took place at the Emergency Mutual Aid in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden EMARSGA in Hurghada Egypt. National Participants, the Regional Project Coordinator and a UNIDO consultant have conducted fruitful discussions on the project’s progress and activities to come. Minutes of the meeting will be online soon.Minutes of hte 5th PMC Meetnig

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